Reinforced-concrete caisson.



G. MERIWBTHER.

' REINFORCED CONCRETE OAISSON.

APPLICATION FILED AY 20, 1911.

1,048,993, Patented 13130.31, 1912.

CDLEIFLAN MERTWETHER, 0F MONTCLAIR, NEW] JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO LOCK JOIN"?PEPE COMPANY, 035 NEVI' YORK, N. Y

CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BEINFORCED -CGNCB-ETE. CAISSON.

Serial No. 628,436.

10 all whom 1 2! may concern.

Be it known that l, COLEMAN lVlERI- wnrnnn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Montclair, county of Essex, and State oi New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reinforced ConcreteCaissons, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

Th object oi the present invention is .to provide a reinforced concretecaisson of simple and inetipensive construction, which can be sunk inthe usual way and then, if desired, tilled with concrete to form apier'.

To this and other endsthe invention consists in the novel features ofconstruction and combinations of elements hereinafter de scribed, andmore particularly set forth in the'appended claims.

A convenient and etlicient form of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanyin drawings, in which Figure 1 shows the caisson in verticalsection. Fig. 2 is a section on line ll1l.

The caisson illustrated is composed of one or more units, A, each ofwhich is made up These sections are of of tubular sections B. concretereinforced by suitable reinforcement C, for example a heavy, largemeshedfabric of wire, and are connected preferably by the bell-and-spigotconstruction shown at in this form the short spigot of one section isinserted into the long bell of the adj oi'ning section, forming acircumferential groove, preferably on the inside. The reinforcingfabrics of the two sections extend into and overlap in the groove, whichis then filled with concrete, embedding the overlapped fabrics thereinand efiectively looking the sections together.

' The lower or bottom section of the lower unit is molded around anannular metal rim E, beveled on its lower side to form a cutting edge Fand having on its upper side an outwardly extending projection, as thebead E, to cooperate with the concrete and thus securely lock the rim tothe section. At the top is an inwardly flanged connecting ring G, ofmetal, having a locking bead H to en gage the body of the upper section.'The bottom oft-he next unit has similar ring I, and the two units areassembled to bring the connecting rings into contact, after which therings are secured together by bolts, as shown at J. If desired, therings may be strengthened by diagonal webs or gussets K.

The sections of each unit together, preferably before the groovesbetweenthe sections are fil ed with cement, by long tie-rods L insidethe caisson, cooperating with thetianges of the connecting rings, and,in the case of the lowermost unit, with the flange of the rim E. Therods also eX tend through the adjoining ring, so that their ends projectabove and below the joint between the units, as shown in Fig. 1.

In constructing the caisson the preferred procedure is first to assemblethe sections of each unit and then tie the sections together by means ofthe tie-rods, after which. the grooves at the joints between thesections are filled with cement or concrete. The lower or terminal unitis then sunk in the position it is to occupy, by any convenient meanssuitable-to the nature or" the soil and other local conditions. As thecaisson sinks thesucceeding unit or units are placed on top and theconnecting flanges bolted together, and when the caisson has reached thedesired depth the whole is filled with concrete to form a solid. pier,in which the tie-rods L serve as reinforcing members for the innercolumn. The completed pier thus consists of a reinforced outer shell orcasing and'a reinforced inner core, the whole being practicallymonolithic.-

Though not strictly necessary, it is highly advantageous to make theunits in sections, as described. It is important to have the connectingrings in parallel planes and at right angles to the. axis of thecaisson, but it is found in practice to be exceedingly diiiicult toattain this result when the .engthy unit is made one piece; but bymaking it in sections the rings can be brought into accurate parallelismwith each other" and atright angles to the axis of the unit bymanipulation of the tie rods, the unfilled joints betweenthe sectionspermitting such adjustment, after which the joints are sealed withcement or concrete The resulting unit may not be perfectly straightbetween the rings, but such local irregularities are unimportant.

The construction herein specifically illustrated and described is thepreferred form, but it is to be understood that the invention is capableof embodiment in other structures without departure from its properspirit and scope as defined by the following claims.

I claim;

1. In a reinforced concrete caisson, in

Patented Dec. 311., 1912.

are firmly bound I combination, a tubular unit of reinforced concrete, ametal ring fixed to the bottom of the unit, having a cutting edge, ametal ring fixed to the upper end of the unit, and tierods extendingfrom ring to ring inside the tubular unitend tie the rings securely together on the unit and adapted to serve as reinforcing members when thecaisson is filled with concrete to form a pier.

2. In a reinforced concrete caisson, in combination, a tubular unitcomposed of tubular reinforced concrete sections joined end to end, ametal cutting-ring at the bottom of the unit, a metal connecting ring atthe top of the unit, and tie-rods extending from ring to ring inside theunit, to bind the rings and the sections securely together and to serveas reinforcing members when the caisson is filled With concrete to forma pier.

3. ln' a'caisson of the kind described, in combination, a tubular unithaving a cutting-ring at the bottom and a connecting ring at the top,tic-rods extending from ring to ring inside the tubular unit, and atubular unit on top of the first, having connecting rings at its endsconnectedhy inner tierods, the tie-rods of each unit extending throughthe abutting connecting rings into the adjoining unit.

4-. In a caisson of theikind described, in combination, a plurality oftubular units arranged end to end, connecting rings fixed to the ends ofthe units, the rings of one unitahutting the rings of the adjoiningrings, and tie-rods for each unit inside the same, connecting the ringsthereof and extending masses through the abutting rings into theadjoining units. I

5. In a caisson of the kind described, a tubular unit of reinforcedconcrete, a ring in one end of the unit having a bead Elm-- bedded inthe-inner surface 01' the concrete to lock the ring in place and havinga cutting edge protecting the end of the concrete, a connecting ringlocked in the other end of the unit for connection with a similar ringon another unit, and tie-rods c'onnecting the rings inside the unit. 7

.6. In a caisson of the kind described, a tu bular unit composed of aplurality of reinforced concrete sections arranged end to end, a metalring locked in one end of the unit and having a cutting edge, aconnecting ring locked in the other end, and tie-rods inside the unit,connecting the rings to bind all the parts securely together and adaptedto serve as reinforcing members when the caisson is filled with concreteto form a pier.

7. In a caisson oi" the kind describcd,a, tubular unit of reinforcedconcrete, metal rings in the ends of the unit for the purposesdescribed, and tie rods inside the unit, c0nl-- necting the rings tobind all the parts curely together and adapted to serve as re inforcingmembers When the caisson is filled with concrete to form a pier.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

COLEMAN MERTWETHER.

Witnesses:

M. Lawson D'rnn, S. S. DUNK/AM.

